Modernizing video workflows with end-to-end IP solutions

While streaming is now the dominant method for delivering video to consumers, the infrastructure powering live/linear broadcasts remains anchored in legacy systems. Most front-end operations still rely on satellites, fiber links, and on-premise master control rooms (MCR) with dedicated hardware.

Even when one component, such as MCR, is virtualized, interconnection with other legacy systems still requires decoding and re-encoding video—moving from SDI to IP formats like H.264 and back. This process adds cost, latency, and reduces video quality.

The case for end-to-end IP workflows

Transitioning the entire workflow to IP eliminates repeated encode/decode cycles, resulting in better quality, lower latency, and reduced costs. More importantly, IP enables full virtualization, allowing any stage of video processing to take place anywhere—on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware or in public clouds. This geographic and architectural flexibility supports rapid scaling, dynamic resource allocation, and streamlined operations.

Benefits include:

• Reduced Infrastructure Costs: COTS and cloud resources are more economical and easier to manage.
• Improved Quality: Fewer encode/decode steps preserve fidelity.
• Lower Latency: Direct IP connections streamline data flow.
• Scalability: Easily accommodate spikes in demand (e.g., NFL Sundays).
• Agility: Software updates and innovations can be deployed rapidly.

Monetization through dynamic ad insertion

An all-IP architecture enables the deployment of Dynamic Advertising Insertion (DAI) technologies across the entire footprint. This allows content providers to unify ad inventory and target viewers more effectively, unlocking new revenue streams.

Limitations of legacy infrastructure

Legacy delivery methods face mounting challenges:

• C-band Satellite: Expensive, bandwidth-constrained, and under threat. With the U.S. government auctioning C-band spectrum for 5G, satellite capacity is likely to vanish within a few years.
• Fiber: Costly and rigid, with vulnerability to physical disruption (e.g., the “backhoe” problem). It lacks the redundancy and flexibility of IP networks.

The advantages of IP bandwidth

IP-based delivery removes traditional bandwidth limitations. High-definition (HD), 1080p/HDR, and 4K content can all be transmitted at mezzanine bit rates. With fewer encode/decode cycles, consumers experience true native 4K quality instead of upconverted streams.

Unifying delivery modes with IP

The NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) standard — now reaching over 75% of the U.S. population — embraces an all-IP framework. Unlike ATSC 1.0, it supports:

Advertisement

• Unicast: One-to-one communication, common in streaming.
• Multicast: Efficient one-to-many delivery on private networks.
• Broadcast: One-to-all transmission for broad market coverage.

This flexibility highlights IP’s strength in adapting to multiple delivery modes, supporting high-efficiency data transmission across platforms. The NAB has petitioned the FCC to sunset ATSC 1.0 in favor of ATSC 3.0 due to these benefits.

Zixi’s role in the IP transition

Zixi provides robust, scalable solutions for every stage of the live/linear IP workflow, from content contribution and B2B distribution to direct-to-consumer (D2C) delivery. Our Zixi Software Platform operates across any IP network and compute environment, enabling seamless, cost-effective video transmission at scale.

With Zixi, broadcasters can fully realize the benefits of end-to-end IP workflows — higher quality, increased agility, and better economics—while future-proofing their operations against the decline of legacy infrastructure.

Alan Young, ZixiAlan Young is a technology executive with more than 30 years of experience across the telecoms, financial services, and media and entertainment sectors. He is currently Vice President of Strategic Business Development at Zixi, where he leads the identification of new strategic opportunities and supports long-term product strategy for the company’s live IP video delivery and management platform. Alan has held senior engineering and technology leadership roles at LTN, Encompass, SES, Citibank, Viacom, and British Telecom. He holds a Master’s degree in Electronic Systems Engineering from the University of York, is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the IET, and is the holder of five patents.